Although Sheffield didn’t receive its cathedral status until 1914, the walls of the cathedral contain stones that date back to Norman times and the building tells the story of the changing community of this part of the country over 1,000 years.

What’s the story?

Within the chapels you’ll find the famous families who played their part in this history, from the Earls of Shrewsbury who hosted Henry VIII”s ill-fated cardinal, Wolsey, on his way to the Tower of London, as well as Mary Queen of Scots, under house arrest in Sheffield for 14 years. The families are still making news in the 21st century – several years ago, when the family crypt was opened, it was discovered that 15 bodies were missing from the tomb.

Other treasures to look out include the contemporary stainless steel baptismal font by artist and metalworker Brian Fell, a nod to the area’s steel manufacturing history, the cathedra (Bishop’s seat) that was donated by one of the candidates for the post of Sheffield’s very first bishop – he didn’t get the job – and the 13th century mass clock in the Lady Chapel.

Sheffield: cathedral city

It’s difficult to spend any time in Sheffield without being aware of the city’s steel heritage. If West Yorkshire trade is built on wool, the south is built on steel and iron. From the 18th to the 20th centuries, the region was the industrial centre of northern England with its riches of iron ore, coal and water.

What to do: Trace the history of steel in the Metalwork Gallery, part of the Millennium Gallery which includes the Ruskin Gallery collections of paintings and manuscripts by John Ruskin, and the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet with its restored forges and workshops; escape industry at Meersbrook Park with views over the city and local museum in the grounds.

Cathedrals of Britain: North of England and Scotland by Bernadette Fallon is published by Pen and Sword books, £12.99, buy online here